Lyoto Machida’s Manager Says Fight with Gutsafsson Doesn’t Make Sense

Lyoto Machida announced through his manager that he is not considering a match-up with fellow 205-lbs contender, Alexander Gustafsson. Jorge Guimaraes, Machida’s manager, stated through Fighters Only that Machida’s next fight will be for the UFC light heavyweight belt, and nothing less.

“Lyoto is on stand-by list,” stated Guimaraes, “waiting for the winner of Jon Jones vs Chael Sonnen… The fight between Jones and Sonnen is going to happen now, it doesn’t make sense to fight Alexander. We’re almost there. If it were a little before, this fight could have already happened, but he just fought… and Dana White has made it clear that Lyoto is the number one [contender]. We’ll be waiting.”

Dana White’s statement comes after Machida’s split decision victory over Dan Henderson, who prior to the bout was ranked the number one contender. Following the fight, White stated, “He just beat the number one contender, which would make him the number one contender… Lyoto won the fight. He beat the number one contender. He beat Dan Henderson.”

Gustafsson has recently stated that he believes he deserves a fight with Lyoto Machida, if and only if, he does not receive the next shot at the light heavyweight belt. This is most likely the result of Dana White’s statements leading up to UFC on Fuel TV 7, where the UFC president said of Gustafsson, “if he beats Mousasi in that fight, he’s in line for a title shot.”

Of course, that statement in itself merely suggests Gustafsson had the opportunity to become the number two contender, following Machida. Given the fact that Gustafsson was forced to drop from his bout with Mousasi due to a cut, he didn’t win the fight that would have granted him a title shot.

For Lyoto Machida, he is only looking upward, and specifically only at Jon Jones. His manager stated, “I think it is almost impossible for Chael to win this bout, but anything may happen… Lyoto is the number one contender and he is only waiting to see who is going to be the winner of this fight. He is not convinced about Jones… he is not convinced from that loss.”

That last loss- a second-round standing guillotine choke that left Machida unconscious left many convinced that Jon Jones, who was tested for the first time against Machida in the first round, was the real deal.

With both Machida and Gustafsson talking in this manner, it seems both fighters’ self-confidence is running a little high. Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen are set to fight at UFC 159 on April 27, a fight that Machida and Gustafsson will be watching with all their attention.

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